Body Contouring After Massive Weight Loss

Liposuction. The most common cosmetic procedure in the United States, liposuction (or lipoplasty) removes unwanted fat from specific areas, improving the contours of your body. The most frequently treated areas include the abdomen, buttocks, hips, thighs, knees, calves, upper arms, neck, and chin.

While liposuction does not remove excess skin, it is often used in conjunction with the other procedures mentioned on this page to remove any remaining localized pockets of fat after massive weight loss. Liposuction helps to create a smoother contour and improves body proportions. Read more about liposuction.

Tummy Tuck. A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is a surgical procedure that can dramatically reduce a protruding abdomen and help your clothes fit better.  The surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and sometimes the middle abdomen, while also tightening any abdominal muscles that have stretched. Liposuction can also be used in conjunction with a tummy tuck to remove remaining pockets of fat after weight loss. Read more about tummy tuck.

Arm Lift. Weight loss and the effects of aging can cause the skin and ligaments of your upper arms to sag, sometimes hanging over the elbow. An arm lift (brachioplasty) can tighten your upper arms and restore them to a more youthful appearance. Liposuction can also be used in conjunction with an arm lift to remove remaining pockets of fat in the upper arms after weight loss. Read more about arm lift.

Thigh Lift. Weight loss can cause the skin of the inner and outer thighs to lose tone and sag. A thigh lift (thighplasty) tightens the skin and creates smooth, younger looking thighs. An inner thigh lift actually includes firming and lifting of the inner part of the thighs, while an outer thigh lift treats the saddlebags and the outside of the thighs. The fat around the knees and other areas (sometimes the calves) is also sometimes in need of treatment. Liposuction can also be used in conjunction with a thigh lift to remove remaining pockets of fat in the inner and/or outer thighs after weight loss.

An outer thigh lift is usually combined with a lower body lift and buttock lift—procedures that generally take more time and require a hospital stay. Read more about thigh lift.

Lower Body and Buttock Lift. After massive weight loss, it is customary for skin on the abdomen, waist, back, buttocks, and thighs to sag. One of the most dramatic and fastest-growing plastic surgery procedures is a combination lower body lift and buttock lift to sculpt the stomach, remove love handles, and contour the waist, hips, thighs, and buttocks. During the buttock lift portion of the procedure, we can sometimes even use some of the excess skin to augment the upper buttocks and create a more pleasing contour. Read more about lower body and buttock lift.

Body Lift. A body lift is a comprehensive procedure to remove excess skin and fat from the arms, thighs, abdomen, groin, and buttocks. This surgery can improve the tone and shape of many areas of your body for an overall smoother and more youthful look. A body lift is usually performed on patients with loose skin after weight loss surgery, but anyone who has uneven body contours and several areas of loose skin that cannot be corrected with diet and exercise is a potential candidate for a body lift. Read more about body lift surgery.

Neck Lift. If you are left with sagging of the skin or bands in the neck after your weight loss, neck lift surgery can remove the excess skin and tighten the area for a more normal and youthful appearance. A neck lift is often done in conjunction with a face lift, which tightens and smooths the lower portion of the face. Read more about face and neck lift.

Breast Lift. It is not uncommon for women to experience sagging breast tissue after massive weight loss. A breast lift (or mastopexy) raises and reshapes sagging breasts to make them firmer, more youthful, and perkier.

You may be an excellent candidate for a breast lift if you have small, sagging breasts but are happy with their size. If you would like to increase the size of your breasts as well, or if your breasts have lost volume over the years, you may need a breast lift with implants in order to achieve the look you want. For women with large breasts that cause back and neck pain, a breast reduction may be a better choice – a procedure that includes a breast lift at the same time the breast size is reduced. Read more about breast lift.

Breast Lift with Implants. If your breasts sag and have lost volume, you may opt to have a breast lift with implants to both lift and reshape the breasts. The goal of a breast lift and breast enlargement combination is to create fuller, firmer, natural-looking breasts that will increase your self-confidence and help your clothes fit better. Read more about breast lift with implants.

Breast Reduction. Women who have lost a significant amount of weight may want to reduce the size of their breasts to better match their new body proportions. Large, heavy breasts can also cause back, shoulder, and neck pain. Every breast reduction includes a breast lift, of course. They can cause bra straps to dig into the shoulders and create posture issues that affect the entire spine. Large breasts inhibit physical activities and make it difficult to find clothes that fit properly. Many women with this condition feel self-conscious.

Breast reduction surgery reduces the size of the breasts and areolas, as well as reshapes and lifts the breasts, relieving the pain that the weight of the breasts has caused. It is so effective at treating back and neck pain that it has the highest satisfaction rate of all plastic surgery procedures.